The Deadly Nightshade | { BOOK 1 of The Flower series }

[01] Ultron

⏳2015, Sokovia

The Maximoff twins slowly and cautiously entered the church. When Costel told them that "Iron Man" wanted them to meet him in the church, the two were instantly on guard. They were very curious and confused about why "Iron Man" would want to talk to them. The twins caught sight of a throne in the center of the church and a figure sitting in it with a faded red drape over his body as he faced away from them.

"Talk," Wanda commanded. "And if you are wasting our time—"

"Did you know this church is in the exact center of the city?" Ultron interjected in thought. "The elders decreed it so that everyone could be equally close to God. I like that. The geometry of belief." He paused as he tilted his head down a little, placing his metal hand against the side of it.

Wanda's green eyes had turned red as she tried to read his mind but was struggling since she was getting nothing in return.

"You're wondering why you can't look inside my head."

"Sometimes it's hard," Wanda admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "But sooner or later, every man shows himself."

Ultron stood and faced them as the faded res drape fell off of him. He gazed down at him from his tall height, his red beady eyes never once leaving them.

Wanda briefly looked shocked, but Ultron didn't pay any mind to the shock expressions. "Oh, I'm sure they do," Ultron agreed. "But you needed something more than a man. That's why you let Stark take the scepter."

"I didn't expect. . ." Wanda's eyes trailed up and down at Ultron's form for emphasis. "But I saw Stark's fear. I knew it would control him, make him self-destruct."

"Everyone creates the thing they dread," Ultron informed as he walked around the circular centrepiece. "Men of peace create engines of war, invaders create avengers, people create...smaller people?" Ultron paused, trying to figure out the word. "Uh...children! I lost the word there. Children. Designed to supplant them, to help them...end."

Wanda tilted her head, intrigued. "Is that why you've come? To end the Avengers?"

Ultron turned around and pointed in the twins' direction. "I've come to save the world. But also, yeah." He grinned slightly. "Oh! I almost forgot. Remember when I said that men of peace create engines of war?"

Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances before nodding in sync.

"Well, we have our engine to end the war with the Avengers." Ultron pointed above them, and Nightshade dropped down from a beam as she watched the whole conversation up in the shadows. She landed in a kneel, rising as she stared back at the twins. Her eyes glowed with a computerised purple, but that was the only thing that was revealed due to her head mask and half-face mask. She was dressed in her dark, restrained HYDRA catsuit and heeled boots. Her ombré hair was pulled into a ponytail to be out of the way.

"Jade," Wanda breathed out in shock.

"Кто, черт возьми, Джейд?" Nightshade responded, her voice projected back in a fake Russian accent that had been activated by her voice manipulation app.

Who the hell is Jade?

"Oh, you three know each other?" Ultron questioned, looking back and forth between the three teenagers. "Great, we can skip the introductions." He gestured for them to follow him and Nightshade was immediately behind him as she followed his every step, not giving Wanda nor Pietro a single glance. Her whole body language proved that she didn't remember them.